Top 5 UFC Heavyweight Fights in History

5. Pat Barry vs. Cheick Kongo (UFC Live 4 – June 26, 2011)

Both fighters entered this match-up with some momentum and had a lot to gain as first-time headliners on (almost) free television. They certainly didn’t disappoint either. Barry blasted Kongo early in the scrap and had him reeling, deciding to rush in for the finish. However, the Frenchman still had a little gas left in the tank, uncorking a right hand instantly turning Barry’s lights out for the knockout win. (PHOTO CREDIT: Bruce Fedyck-USA TODAY Sports)

Mir’s last instance of success in the Octagon was also one of the most notable in his career. Though he’d beaten Nogueira before, a rematch was booked based on divisional standing and reputation. Initially, it appeared “Minotauro” had Mir’s number, rocking him in the opening round. However, instead of working him over while dazed, Nogueira went for a submission and quickly found himself reversed. From there, Mir latched on to an arm and locked on to a Kimura. Nogueira’s discipline prevented him from tapping, leaving Mir no other option than to snap the limb. (PHOTO CREDIT: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports)

3. Brock Lesnar vs. Shane Carwin (UFC 116 – July 3, 2010)

Lesnar was quickly proving he belonged amongst the divisional elite after winning a trio of tilts including victories over Frank Mir and Randy Couture. That hype nearly took a major hit, however, when the then-champion crossed paths with cement-fisted slugger Carwin. The knockout artist entered the fight with a 12-0 mark and first-frame finishes across the board. He nearly inched both categories up a notch in the clash, catching Lesnar with an uppercut sending him down to the mat. Carwin immediately attacked, pummeling the WWE Superstar to the point Lesnar was bleeding badly and legitimately “on the ropes”. The second round would play out much differently with Lesnar taking the winded Carwin down and eventually securing an Arm-Triangle Choke. (PHOTO CREDIT: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports)

You could have surveyed every MMA fan, media member, and fighter out there and few, if any, would have guessed Silva-Hunt would go the distance. Early on, it seemed Hunt was done, seeing his leg wobbled by Silva’s kicks and eating punch after punch. Of course, “The Super Samoan” is considered to be one of the toughest heavyweights in the game for a reason, and he kept pressing forward despite all the damage. After awhile, his strikes started getting through, plus he did surprisingly well when it came to takedowns, and by the fourth round both men were coasting on fumes. Still, neither gave in, blasting each other with shots until the final seconds ticked off the clock. It was a little bit Forrest Griffin-Stephan Bonnar I, a little Mauricio Rua-Dan Henderson, and a whole lot of awesome! (PHOTO CREDIT: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports)

1. Randy Couture vs. Tim Sylvia (UFC 68 – March 3, 2007)

Honestly, nostalgia is the only reason Couture-Sylvia can be considered better than Silva-Hunt from an overall entertainment standpoint since it wasn’t competitive in the least bit. To set the scene, Couture had been out of action for a year after deciding to retire and hadn’t fought as a heavyweight in five years. Meanwhile, the 6’8” Sylvia was on a six-fight winning streak and had a huge size advantage. In the end, none of those factors mattered much. “The Natural” landed a beautifully timed strike right off the bat and never looked back, dominating Sylvia for the next 24+ minutes en route to another UFC championship win. (PHOTO CREDIT: Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports)

UFC heavyweights Antonio Silva and Mark Hunt turned in an all-time classic at UFC Fight Night 33, displaying a ton of heart during a five-round brawl ultimately ending in a Majority Draw. The effort shown by each has led some to label the bout as the best brouhaha between big boys in the organization’s history. While a case can be made for such status, here’s where we think the tilt stacks up when looking back at some of the division’s other amazing encounters…

I missed the Hunt-Bigfoot fight so I can’t judge but that Couture comeback fight against Sylvia, who was thought to be as tough to beat as they came back then, was an epic performance by Couture and it solidified his position as one of the best of all time.